Northern Ireland Football League
 |
|
| Country |
 Northern Ireland
|
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Divisions |
NIFL Premiership NIFL Championship NIFL Premier Intermediate League NIFL Premiership Development League NIFL Youth League |
| Number of teams | 36 |
| Level on pyramid | 1–3 |
| Relegation to |
Ballymena & Provincial League Mid-Ulster Football League Northern Amateur League Northern Ireland Intermediate League |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Irish Cup NIFL Charity Shield |
| League cup(s) |
NIFL League Cup George Wilson Cup |
| International cup(s) |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League Irn-Bru League Cup |
| Current champions |
Linfield F.C. (52nd title) (2016–17) |
| Most championships | Linfield (52) |
| TV partners |
BBC NI (highlights via BBC iPlayer) |
| Website | www |
 2016–17
|
|
BBC NI (highlights via BBC iPlayer)
Bwin.Party
The Northern Ireland Football League (commonly abbreviated to NIFL), also known as the Irish League, is the national football league of Northern Ireland. It was formed in 2013 to assume independent collective management of the top three levels of the Northern Ireland football league system; namely the Premiership, Championship and NIFL Premier Intermediate League.
In addition to the league divisions, the NIFL also operates the Northern Ireland Football League Cup for its member clubs, as well as the NIFL Development League and George Wilson Cup for their reserve teams, and the NIFL Youth League and NIFL Youth League Cup for their youth teams. Operated as a limited company, the 40 member clubs act as shareholders with one vote each. The NIFL is the successor to the Irish Football League, which was historically the league for the entire island of Ireland upon its formation in 1890; it became Northern Ireland's national league after the partition of Ireland in 1921.
Originally formed in 1890, the national football league of Northern Ireland is the second-oldest national league in the world, being formed a week earlier than the Scottish Football League. Only the English Football League is older. (The Dutch Football League formed properly on the same year as the Scottish and Irish leagues, making it the first league in Continental Europe. Although it did have two previous seasons, thus making it equal in duration with the EFL, these two seasons did not have an equal number of matches per club).
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Wikipedia